8/24/2013

Taino Delegates Join Jamaica’s Marcus Garvey Celebration

A delegation of Taino People open the Marcus Garvey Celebration at Rio Nuevo Village in Jamaica

St. Mary, Jamaica (UCTP Taino News) – This year’s annual celebration of the
birth of Jamaican National Hero, the “Right Excellent Marcus Mosiah Garvey,”
was historic in its unprecedented inclusion of an indigenous Taino delegation.
The daylong activity was held on Sunday, August 18th at the RioNuevo Village in St. Mary, Jamaica. The well-attended celebration began with
an early morning Taino ceremonial call to the “sacred directions” and featured an
interactive cultural presentation later in the day. The Taino delegation included
representatives of the Nacion Taina de las Antillas and the United Confederation of Taino People. The Taino delegates were invited to attend the
Garvey celebration by event sponsor, Irie FM, Jamaica’s number one Reggae music
radio station. Portions of the day’s
activities, including special on-site interviews, were broadcast live by Irie
FM.

Between and after their early morning and afternoon
presentations on the event’s main stage, the Taino delegates interacted with an
extremely interested public at a Taino kanei (rectangular chief’s home) built
especially for the occasion. Hundreds and hundreds of Jamaicans flocked to the
site throughout the day to speak to the Taino representatives and take photos.
These intense cultural exchanges included emotional interactions with elders
and leaders of Rastafarian community, as well as with leaders and community members
of several Jamaican Maroon communities. The “Maroons” are the descendants of
Africans who escaped enslavement and took refugee in the mountainous interior
of the island, and according to local history intermarried with remaining
Taino families. The Maroons initiated wars against the British Crown leading to
the signing of peace treaties, which included land rights for these
communities.

“This is an historic and spiritually significant moment in our contemporary history
as it marks the first occasion that Taino people are participating in an event
of this kind in Jamaica, one of our sacred ancestral homelands” noted R. Múkaro
Borrero, a representative for the United Confederation of Taino People and
elected kasike (chief) of the Guainia Taino Tribe. Borrero continued stating,
“I trust our humble participation will set the stage for more intense campaigns
to raise a much needed Taino cultural awareness on the island.”

Borrero led the morning opening ceremony and afterward was
interviewed live by Mutabaruka, one of Irie FM’s top radio personalities. Another delegate, Kasike Rene Cibanacan was
also interviewed. These in-depth interviews reached thousands of listeners on
the island; many were emotionally and spiritually moved to come to the
celebration to meet the Taino delegates.

The “Garvey Celebration” was co-sponsored by Rio Nuevo
Village; Bigstones; Petcom Dunrobin; Fly Jamaica; JCDC St. Mary; Contractor
Music Marketing; and the Jamaica National Heritage Trust. Along with the Taino
cultural component, the event featured distinguished speakers, music and dance
performances, marching bands, African drummers, storytellers, and more.

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